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Jeffery 600 NE

Gentlemen, I have on hand a few more pictures and stories for your viewing pleasure about Jeffery double rifles and especially that December 1902 delivered 600 NE Jeffery no.12431 with 28 inch barrels made by Saunders for Jeffery, photographed with Hans Schomburgk by Lemming in 1907.

This 6th build 600 NE is the only one by any maker to have been proofed for 120 Grain Cordite, this special load recorded in the Jeffery ledger, thus making it effectively the unique and most powerful double rifle of the professional elephant hunting era.

Enjoyed by 5 owners and 8 users between 1902 to date, it is still in top condition, regularly serviced, its action tight as a bank vault and is still happily used for its intended purpose, dangerous big game hunting.

Its first owner was Karl Larsen shot with it at least 52 elephants (some report several hundreds), 6 rhinos, and in an incredible shooting feat, a pride of 7 lions with 9 shots in 2 minutes. The lion hide trophies and the story of that charge was used in the Jeffery catalogue for several decades, his 600 NE recognizable on his right side. Larsen’s endorsement about Jeffery rifle quality was also used by Jeffery for decades in their catalogues. Following a difficult hunting season, he sold that Jeffery to Schomburgk in 1907, in exchange for cash and a .400 double rifle of unknown make. A man of big build, he reordered from Jeffery another 600 NE no.22368 for 75.0 Guinea and 450-400 no.22369 double rifle for 70.0 Guinea, both made by Leonard with 28 inch barrels and delivered June 1913. Interestingly, the Jeffery ledger recorded a 1902 sales price of 50.0 Guinea for 600NE no.12431.

Its second owner was Hans Schomburgk, the most celebrated German Africa explorer until his death in 1967, who shot 63 elephants, several buffalos, rhinos and other game with it before the first World War. His hunting stories with that Jeffery were extensively recorded and pictured in over 45 books, magazines and even seen in the first ever documentary about Africa bush life, filmed prior to the first World War.
That Jeffery was also used occasionally for elephant hunting by Schomburgk's hunting partner, Lammond Hemming during Schomburgk's frequent travels to Europe.

Its third but first recorded owner in the Jeffery ledger, was the French Senator Henri Chamault, who purchased the Jeffery in the London store around 1924 for 100.0 Guinea and hunted frequently elephants with it in his plantation in Cameroun.

Its fourth owner was the American tycoon F.P. Williamson. He purchased that 600 NE no.12431 directly from the Jeffery store in London in 1952 for 150.0 Guineas, he is the last Jeffery ledger recorded owner. He used it in Africa with Kerr & Downey safari and wrote about his hunting experience with a 600 in American Rifleman 1956. His name is still embossed on the lid of the original Jeffery gun case, fantastique original airline stickers still present, at a time unthinkable nowadays when you could travel safely with your gun as hand carried luggage inside airline cabins.

The Jeffery was purchased from the Williamson estate and retuned successfully the following year to the Okawongo Delta for elephant and buffalo hunting the traditional way. 3 weeks of mostly tracking on foot carrying the 16lbs gun from sunrise to dawn, or until daily supply water runs out, charged several times and sleeping under tents. Grandiose, the Jeffery really enjoyed it…

Despite its colourful, much travelled, often hair-raising and life-saving adventures of the past 121 years, more hunting trips are in the planning for Jeffery no.12431 which is enjoying meanwhile a much deserved and cherished life in company of other special African calibre British double rifles.

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Wonderful to be able to tell the story of such a rifle, more or less from its beginning to the current day.

Also such a prestigious and colourful history.

And also instead of it gathering dust in a collection, carried afield in the hunting lands of its youth. Wunderbar. So well done.

I hope you have more photos to share.

One negative note. I've a 13 1/4 lb Jeffery DR, my resultant pleasant to shoot .450 No.2 NE. I've carried it fine for many miles, but it's a weight to first pick up. Now a 16 lb rifle is even more a hefty lump of steel. I've shot a .600 several times. Manageable. But I shot only one round at a time. And wisely it had hammers, so one can cock one barrel at a time.

Shooting the nine rounds at seven lions in two minutes,the strong biceps and shoulders to carry it, might be needed for the serial compounding recoil effect. The 16 lbs should make it "milder".

Impressive story and rifle.

A real rifle, for the real man!

I want a .600 now